University and Community Support

Grand Valley State University supports the project in a variety of ways. The participation of the library, and specifically of the university archivist, Nancy Richard, is essential to the creation of the archive. In addition, both Dr. Smither and Prof. Boring are permitted to focus on the project as their major activity outside of the classroom, and we receive additional volunteer support from faculty and staff across campus. We also use a small army of student interns and research assistants to assist with interviews, manage the files, prepare outlines and transcripts for posting on the web, and prepare the videos for posting as well. The Provost’s Office and the College of Arts and Sciences have also provided some financial support for the project to supplement resources provided by private donors.

While the university has provided valuable financial assistance to the project, we have no regular budget line or endowment, and operate on a pay-as-you-go basis, relying primarily on private donations and grants to support our projects and activities. As one might expect, we appreciate all donations, large or small, and we make a point of putting that money to good use. We also value the support provided by volunteers from the community who conduct interviews for us and help to recruit veterans for us to interview, and we have a particular need for volunteer transcriptionists. Anyone interested either in making a donation or volunteering with the project should contact Dr. Smither.